


A Gulag is no Place for Romance

by br00tle



Category: USSR - Fandom
Genre: F/F, gulag, i wasted too much time, its not funny, maddie needs her internet gone, this is no longer funny
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:26:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24013567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/br00tle/pseuds/br00tle
Summary: What happens when a powerful General and a prisoner in a gulag fall in love? Well, I don’t know either. So I made it up.
Relationships: Comrade cheyenne/General Williams
Comments: 3
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

Another painful day surged on in the gulag. Laborers worked, people starved, hundreds were beat to death. As Cheyenne stared out at the freezing hell, contemplating her sure demise in the next few months. Would she freeze? Would she starve? Would one of the harsh guards beat her to death? She shivered at the thought of it, her body being abused so much her life force gave out.  
Cheyenne realized she didn’t have time to ponder that, not now. Not when steel production was down. Everyone in that hellhole including her knew the consequences of not producing enough steel.  
She stomped out into the snow, her flimsy boots not doing enough to protect her feet from the biting cold snow that covers the Siberian ground. She trotted forward to the production building, heavily guarded by soviet soldiers. As she entered, one particular guard caught her view. 

She was a shorter woman, blonde hair peaking out of her hat. The guard had a sour expression on her face as she forcefully kicked the lifeless lump on the floor. Cheyenne let out a gasp as the guard suddenly stared back at her, seeing to notice she was being stared at. Cheyenne quickly averted her gaze to the floor and speed walking her way to the steel assembly line.  
“Hey! You, curly hair, get over here!” The guards high pitched voice seemed to be deafeningly loud, Cheyenne could hear it over all the machinery. Cheyenne stopped her escape, knowing the more she struggled, the longer her death would be.She slowly turned, seeing that the guard had stopped just a few feet away from her. “What were you looking at, comrade?”  
Cheyenne cringed at the faux friendliness laced in the guards voice, she knew she had to answer, maybe she would narrowly escape death or a beating. “Sorry, spacing out I guess, comrade.”  
“Thats general to you, scum,” she hissed, any hint of friendliness was now absent in her voice. “General Williams, and after your work today, I want to see you in my quarters.”  
Cheyenne froze at the words that came from General Williams' mouth. Would she be tortured? Killed? Why would they wait to kill her in private, they ruthlessly beat and shoot people on the factory floor all of the time. She gave a nod, and General Williams was off.  
Cheyenne made her way to her work station in a daze, knowing the next ten hours will be extremely painful. Nothing would compare to the pain she would feel tonight in General Williams quarters, she knew that. For the 3 months she had been in the gulag she had heard horror stories of what higher ups had done to the prisoners. She could only imagine what the blonde general had planned.  
But there was no time to think, steel production was down. 

***

Ten hours of gruelling work later, Cheyenne was making her way to the general's building. She had no clue how this was going to play out, how she was even going to get in there? As she approached the guard, she gave a slight bow.  
“I was given order by General Williams to come to her quarters after-”  
Cheyenne is cut off by the heavy scraping of metal, the opening of the door. It all felt like some kind of trap, they just let her in. She gasps as the door shut behind her, she hasn’t felt warmth like this since she was a child, and the cold has certainly got worse since she was taken to the gulag. She looked around at bustling people in USSR military uniforms, they seemed not to notice her in her gulag rags. She awkwardly looks around, waiting for someone to shout at her and hit her with the barrel of their gun. No one did.  
“Comrade!” A familiar voice shouted. Cheyenne turned to the small woman running towards her. She had her hat off and her wispy blonde hair flew behind her. If Cheyenne didn’t know any better, didn’t know that General Williams had probably killed hundreds, she would say she was attractive. “You’re here,”  
Cheyenne nods, not knowing what to do with the last few moments of her life. Sure, it was hellish, but it was still being alive. And without it, she’d be dead, and what does that bring her? The general nods back, pointing a finger down the hall.  
“My quarters are this way, here, come on,” Cheyenne dumbly followed the woman, wary of the future that lay in front of her. All she did was steal a second ration of bread! She knows people in here who have killed, but she can’t recall them ever being called back to a generals quarters. She pauses as General Williams opens the door.  
A plan room with a simple coal furnace was in front of her. A bed, a desk and a few storage compartments. It was nothing luxurious, but a unthinkable step up from the horrid conditions of the gulag. Cheyenne stood awkwardly in the room, scanning for torture weapons. She found none.  
“Sit!” The General pulls out the chair from her desk, “I saw you in the factory, and- what are you doing? Sit!”  
Cheyenne stares at the woman like she was insane. Sit? She hesitantly sat in the woman’s chair, keeping her eyes trained on General Williams hands. The wood dug sharply into Cheyenne’s back as she nervously leaned back.  
“Getting back to it, you caught my eye. You’re quite the pretty thing, under all that dirt of course. Are you hungry? I bet!” Cheyenne narrowed her eyes at the Generals rambling, she had to be dreaming. Why would a general take any interest in her, a petty thief? She brought nothing but shame to the motherland! Cheyenne watched as the General pulled a loaf of bread out of the storage bins. “I’ve read your file, you’re Cheyenne. I’m Ashley”  
Cheyenne nodded, still unable to speak. Confused at Ashely’s actions. Ashely offered her the bread. Cheyenne took it, gently tearing off a piece. She examined it before she ate it, even if it was poisoned this was the first food that was rotten scraps she’s had in months. At least if she died she’d die with a full stomach.  
“Well? Where are you from?”  
Cheyenne jumped at the words, but answered truthfully, “Everywhere and no where. I’ve been all around.”  
Ashley nodded, watching as her comrade ate her bread. The two struck up normal conversation. Cheyenne learned Ashley wanted to be a chef, but instead chose to serve the motherland. Ashley learned Cheyenne was a scavenger, who missed her snow dogs badly.  
It was long after Cheyenne had finished her bread when she realized she needed to go back to camp, she had to sleep. 10 more hours of work tomorrow, she needed all the rest she could get.  
“General-“  
“Just call me Ashley.”  
“Ashley, I need to go. I have to sleep so I can produce enough steel tomorrow.” Cheyenne says, enough though she enjoys the food, warmth, and even conversation. Ashely nods.  
“Stay in my bed,” she states simply. Cheyenne flinches at the sheer thought. What if Ashley’s higher ups find out she’s housing a prisoner? “I see the conflict in your eyes, it’s okay Cheyenne. I can see something in you, you’re more than the other comrades.”  
Cheyenne can’t say no to her.


	2. Chapter 2- but better!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> what happens when Ashley peer pressures me into fixing this? read to find out!1!!1

And it was over. 

Just like the the mysterious commander Williams was no longer quit as enamored with Cheyenne. She took it hard too, confused on why for just one night the beautiful guard would give her such affection. 

Work returned as normal. 

Winter was coming, which made steel production all that harder. Cheyenne feared winter- she hadn’t been in the gulag long enough to witness it. She feared it so much she turned to the person she knew was in the gulag the longest for guidance. 

Maddie was a freak of nature, truly. It’s a miracle the Soviet government just hadn’t sent her to execution, she had been in the gulag for so long. This life was far worse than any execution, Cheyenne was sure of it as soon as she caught a glance of the older woman’s emancipated figure. 

She was bent over the figure of a boy who was just about as far gone as she was. A skeletal hand rested on his chest as it shook with ragged breaths. His body convulsed- it’s the end for him. 

“Excuse me, Comrade, bu-“ 

Maddie cut her off with a simple hand movement. Two more ragged breaths and silence fell over the pair. He was dead. Pale fingers gently rubbed over his eyelids to close them, it was the most she could do. If they were lucky guards would pick up the body to dispose of. Most likely, he would be left to freeze in the Siberian winter instead. 

“Wes is dead,” she mumbles, slowly standing from her previous position, “Yes?” 

“Comrade, I was wondering how to prepare for winter?” Cheyenne asked but Maddie’s eyes were looking past her. She scowled after whoever she was making eye contact with. Cheyenne turned to see. 

Commander Williams stood with narrowed eyes and blank expression, Cheyenne nearly flinched when she saw her. It had been weeks since that night, she was sure it wasn’t forgotten. 

“Winter,” Maddie starts and Cheyenne turns back to her. A solemn expression covers her face, replacing the anger, “Don’t starve.” 

It was weak advice coming from a woman who was nothing but grotesque bones herself but Cheyenne took it anyway. 

“Don’t be afraid to do whatever you can for food,” Maddie’s eyes are back on Commander Williams, “Whatever. You. Can.”

Cheyenne knows something is up.

***

She sees it, first eye contact but now Commander Williams is making a straight path towards Cheyenne’s station. Cheyenne’s frozen with fear, she doesn’t know what to do. Luckily, she doesn’t get to chose. 

“My quarters,” Ashley speaks and Cheyenne doesn’t dare open her mouth to answer. Just nods. 

“So I’ve seen your steel production is down.” Cheyenne freezes as she enters the commanders room. Was it? She couldn’t tell. “Is there a reason to that, comrade?” 

“No, I-“ Cheyenne was distracted, distracted by thoughts of a night all those days ago. Thoughts of a blonde haired commander. “I apologize. There is no reason.” 

Ashley hummed and Cheyenne was left frozen in place as the woman circles her- similarly to the way a predator would stalk its prey. 

“You better be sorry,” She says and Cheyenne just blinks. “One more day below what is expected of you and straight to execution. You are dismissed.”

***

Maddie had sought out Cheyenne this time, which has surprised her. The boney pale woman sat down next to Cheyenne. 

“I saw you with Commander Williams.” She muttered. Cheyenne held her breath, waiting for Maddie to speak again, “You saw when Wes died?”

Ah yes, the boy Maddie had been with when he took his final breaths. Starvation, she assumed. Cheyenne nodded, wondering how she could connect the two. 

“Before the end, he did anything for food. That includes getting closer to the commander,” Maddie sounded nearly broken as she spoke, “But she threw him to the side in the end and let him starve.” She turned to Cheyenne and two pairs of tired, sunken eyes met. “Don’t let it happen to you.” 

And Cheyenne didn’t know what to do with that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow!

**Author's Note:**

> I’m sorry


End file.
